Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was feted for his parenting skills on Tuesday (11Jun13) by his daughter Chelsea, who presented him with the Father of the Year award at a charity gala in New York.

The beloved politician was awarded the accolade from officials at the National Father’s Day Committee, and made a touching speech about fatherhood after the presentation.

Chelsea, who was a surprise guest at the prizegiving, said, "Every day he’s my dad, and I don’t need an award to tell me he’s the best that I ever could have hoped for. But I’m grateful he’s getting the recognition that I, of course, his unapologetically biased daughter, think he’s always deserved."

Clinton also recalled the "sole argument" he had with his daughter when she was a teenager in high school, living at the White House.

He said, "I looked at her and said, 'As long as you're in this house, being president is my second most important job.'"

Past honourees include another former leader U.S. leader, Ronald Reagan, in 1957, DICk Van Dyke in 1967 and Clinton's one-time political partner Al Gore in 1984.